God of Fishing Chapter 4: First Fishing

Han Fei gave a quick nod. "That's me."

The youth let out a cold sneer. "How pathetic."

Han Fei found himself at a loss for words. Were the youngsters in this place all so sharp-tongued?

A few minutes later, the boat settled onto the ocean surface, sending ripples outward.

Everyone hoisted their fishing poles. It was a sight to behold; with just a casual flick, the hooks soared hundreds of meters away despite the lack of a reel.

Questions swirled in Han Fei’s mind as he watched the others close their eyes, their hands radiating a faint glow of spiritual energy.

He noticed with amazement that their fishing lines were twitching backward. How could these lines be so flexible and extensible?

The answer soon dawned on him: they were utilizing spiritual energy to manipulate the lines. However, he remembered that such a feat required a significant expenditure of spiritual energy.

Han Fei threw his hook with every ounce of his strength, but it only splashed into the water twenty meters out.

"Huh?"

In his past life, fishing lines always had weights, but here he only had the line and the bait. Mastering the distance using only spiritual energy was proving to be a difficult challenge.

He glanced around quickly to see if anyone had noticed his blunder. Seeing they were preoccupied, he continued fishing as if everything were normal.

With practiced motions, he tugged, released, and rhythmically shook the pole...

"A bit to the left..."

"Now to the right..."

While Han Fei whispered to himself, the others on the vessel looked at him with bewilderment.

One person spoke up, "Hey, are you a fool? Your bait is already gone."

Han Fei stood there, embarrassed and speechless.

The middle-aged man advised, "Reel it in. The green bug is the most sluggish of baits; no fish will bite if it isn't wriggling."

Retrieving the line was an art in itself. The onlookers were stunned as they watched Han Fei's clumsy reeling. Finally, someone blurted out, "How have you not died of hunger yet? Use your spiritual energy, stop relying on your muscles!"

I am using spiritual energy, but the line won't move!

The middle-aged man added, "Sense your spiritual energy. Focus it entirely on the line and then pull it back."

With a flushed face, Han Fei followed the instructions. As his spiritual energy merged with the pole and line, he was startled to feel a subtle, obscure connection between them.

I had no idea it could be used this way!

Feeling revitalized, Han Fei surged his spiritual energy. The hook shot out of the water instantly. It didn't stop there, however, instead flying straight into the backside of another youth across the deck.

"Han Fei, you're looking for a beating..."

Han Fei quickly apologized. "My bad, it was an accident! Don't move, I'll pull it out..."

"Pu..."

The hook tore free from the young man's back. Everyone, Han Fei included, ducked for cover.

A large chunk of fabric had been ripped from the youth's rear, and blood began to spray out.

Han Fei stammered, "I'm really sorry, my control was just lacking."

"Han Fei, I'm going to kill you!"

The rest of the group watched Han Fei with suspicion. Had the boy's brain been damaged yesterday? How could he have forgotten the absolute basics of fishing?

Seeing the enraged youth charging toward him, Han Fei instinctively raised his fishing pole. The young man froze in fear, terrified that Han Fei might launch the hook at him again.

Someone barked, "Han Fei, focus on the task. If you cause more trouble, we're reporting you to the supervisors!"

Han Fei gave an awkward, sheepish grin. "Understood."

The tension dissipated. Despite his rage, the young man didn't actually follow through on his threats.

Han Fei sat down and cast his hook again, mimicking the posture of those around him.

Yet, this style of fishing seemed to require zero skill. After nearly an hour, just as an impatient Han Fei was about to ask for help, a man suddenly stood up with a grunt.

The man performed a strange series of gestures, causing his spiritual energy to erupt. A soft glow immediately enveloped his fishing pole and line.

"Rise!"

Bo...

Han Fei's eyes went wide. Was it really that easy?

He noticed the other passengers looking at the man with the same envy he felt.

A massive yellow fish, weighing roughly sixty kilograms, was hauled up by a man called Old Huang.

Yellow fish were docile and far less dangerous than green turtles or blade fish. Consequently, they were a staple food on the floating islands, much like clams.

Observing the others retracting their poles, Han Fei followed suit. The struggle of the yellow fish had been too long, scaring away any nearby prey. Until one reached the rank of a fishing master, fishermen always moved to a new spot after a catch.

Once they settled at a new location, the lines were cast once more.

Within fifteen minutes, the middle-aged man felt a tug. Mirroring Old Huang's earlier actions, he bellowed, "Rise!"

Han Fei’s interest was piqued—it was another green turtle. He recalled Wang Jie’s impressive Crab King’s Pincer technique used against a similar turtle the day before.

Veins popped on the middle-aged man’s arms as he reeled the line in rapidly. Gripping the pole with both hands, he twisted his body and used his shoulder for leverage, dragging the massive creature from the depths.

"Hiu! Hiu! Hiu!"

Projectiles flew. Everyone scrambled for cover except Han Fei, who watched as the middle-aged man swatted the stones away with a glowing hand before finally subduing the turtle.

A green turtle, a meter in length, crashed onto the deck, its tail twitching aimlessly. It appeared to be unconscious.

Han Fei moved in for a better look. The creature was covered in scales that resembled greenish stones, which shimmered with a blue light under the sun.

<Name> Green Turtle <Level> Five <Quality> Regular <Spiritual Energy> 12 points <Effect> Long-term consumption can boost physical strength. <Absorbable>

Han Fei realized that three clams provided as much spiritual energy as one green turtle. This meant the creature wasn't as extraordinary as its appearance suggested.

The crowd gasped in admiration.

"Old Niu, have you become a superior fisher?"

The middle-aged man beamed with pride. "I managed a breakthrough just a few days ago."

Congratulations poured in from all sides.

Old Chen grabbed his arm, asking eagerly, "I've been stuck at level six forever. Do you have any pointers?"

Han Fei listened intently. He had never seen a superior fisher before and was stunned that someone like Old Chen could be stuck for half a lifetime. Was the path of cultivation truly that grueling?

Fine, a craftsman must sharpen his tools to succeed. Once I’ve refined my techniques and improved my Spiritual Heritage, I’ll surpass you all.

After the large turtle was secured, the boat moved to a different location.

Half the day vanished in a heartbeat. Out of the eight people on board, everyone had caught something except for Han Fei and a youth of similar age.

As the sun began to dip below the horizon, the group relaxed, eating their catch and chatting.

Suddenly, the other young man yelled, "I've got one! I've got one!"

Han Fei watched him with a sour expression. Every other person had fulfilled their quota, while he hadn't caught a single thing despite nearly running out of bait.

Just as Han Fei was wallowing in self-pity, an experienced fisherman let out a cry of alarm.

Old Chen shouted urgently, "Kid, let go! Cut the line! You can't handle this one!"