As the massive Dao Transformation Sturgeon took the bait, thunderous gasps erupted across the scene!
Even with Xu Baichuan and Luo Pengfei present, the crowd surged forward in frenzied excitement, the situation teetering on the edge of chaos. Even the hidden elder from the Heavenly Blade Mad Sect, lurking in the distance, charged over abruptly!
Elder Liu hurried forward, his lips trembling uncontrollably.
Watching the sturgeon thrash like a tempest in the waters, he felt as if he was witnessing something beyond belief.
The Dao Transformation Sturgeon was a spiritual entity of heaven and earth, capable of absorbing the essence of the cosmos only after awakening the power of the Great Dao. To grow to a length of five feet, it would take tens of thousands of years!
This particular sturgeon was undoubtedly the king of the lake, its Great Dao power unimaginable.
The emergence of such a treasure would stir a bloodbath even in the Inner Isles!
Why?
Why had this never-before-seen sturgeon king awakened three years ahead of time?
What method had this Yi Feng used?
Elder Liu was in utter panic.
This is a disasterâŠ
If it gets reeled in, the Island Master will be furious!
Knowing the gravity of the situation, he charged forward recklessly, his face twisted with malice as he prepared to sever the fishing line.
But before he could actâ
The once-ferocious sturgeon king suddenly turned docile, as if drained of all energy, lazily drifting toward the shore!
What?!
Elder Liu froze in shock, unable to believe his eyes.
By all logic, a sturgeon of this size should possess terrifying wildness. Even tiring it out would require the strength of a Heaven-grade cultivator, locked in an exhausting struggle for hoursâif success was even possible.
Yet in mere moments, the sturgeon king had lost all fight?
Could it be⊠this fish had a death wish?
Damn it!
What kind of monster was this Yi Feng, wielding such unfathomable fishing skills?!
Everything defied comprehension.
Elder Liu gnashed his teeth in frustration, but there was nothing he could do.
As Luo Pengfei and Xu Baichuan hauled the sturgeon ashore, experts from across the island swarmed around them, their gasps and praises rising like tidal waves, reverence for Yi Feng flooding the air. ĆĂŁâŠêàžżÆ§
But Elder Liuâs heart bledâhuman joys and sorrows were never shared, and this moment made it painfully clear.
He had sensed the severity earlier, but never imagined it would come to this!
Even the king of Dao Transformation Sturgeons had been caught!
This was a death sentence!
A wave of despair crashed over him.
Regret gnawed at Elder Liuâhad he known, he would never have shown his face, let than allowed this outsider to fish!
Damn these social niceties!
In the treacherous East Sea, where villains ruled, only cunning and deceit guaranteed survival.
The more he watched, the more his dread grew. He couldnât bear to imagine what other absurd catches Yi Feng might reel in if this continued!
A frantic glance at the hourglass revealedâmost of the sand still remained?!
His heart lurched.
With a grimace, Elder Liu stealthily flicked his fingers, casting a spell.
The sand drained away in an instant.
By the lakeshore, Yi Feng and the sturgeon king were now surrounded by a throng of experts, their flattery and congratulations unending.
Luo Pengfei, clutching the massive fish, grinned ear to ear.
Seeing the crystal tank was far too small, Xu Baichuan squeezed through the crowd and approached Elder Liu.
"Elder Liu!"
"Quick! Lend us a larger tankâthis old man would be eternally grateful!"
A bigger tank? You really want me dead, donât you?!
Elder Liuâs cheek twitched.
Forcing a smile, he bowed with practiced grace.
"Elder Xu, forgive me. Itâs not that Iâm stingy, but the allotted time has ended. I dare not break the rules for further fishing."
His deep voice, amplified by his cultivation, echoed across the shore.
The crowd fell silent.
Yi Feng, basking in the praise of his fellow anglers, had barely begun to relish the moment when the mood turned icy.
Following their gazes, he saw the hourglass was empty.
That fast?
Yi Fengâs eyes widenedâit hadnât felt like an hour at all.
Scanning the crowd, he noticed many wore conflicted expressions, their excitement now laced with something⊠suspicious.
So thereâs trickery afoot!
Just as Yi Feng stepped forward to confront the matter, Luo Pengfei, still holding the fish, gave a subtle shake of his head.
Even Xu Baichuan returned to whisper urgently in his ear.
"Master Yi, weâve made quite the haul today. Perhaps we should retire for nowâŠ"
Their hushed tones carried the resignation of men long accustomed to being cheated.
Nearby, Elder Liuânow slightly calmerâsmiled and bowed again.
"Master Yi."
"One hour per person is the Island Masterâs decree, enforced without exception. I beg you not to make this difficult."
Yi Feng understood immediately.
This unscrupulous overseerâs so-called "hour" was whatever he claimed it to beâa blatant scam!
But Yi Feng wasnât one to tolerate such tricks.
So what if it was the Island Masterâs rule?
Power and influence meant nothing to himâhe feared no one!
As his expression darkened, several elders edged closer with warnings.
"Master Yi, quit while youâre ahead."
"Youâre an outsider, sir. Do not disrupt the islandâs laws!"
"The Island Masterâs power transcends the heavens. Think carefullyâdonât let momentary gains cloud your judgment!"
"We implore you to reconsiderâŠ"
Several old monsters, eager to curry favor with Yi Feng, went out of their way to persuade him in front of the crowd. They even subtly hinted at the island lord's formidable strength, hoping Yi Feng would back down gracefullyâthus earning his gratitude while simultaneously boosting the island lord's prestige. No matter how things unfolded, they wouldnât offend either side.
Their words reeked of opportunism from the very first sentence.
Yet, the more Yi Feng listened, the brighter his eyes gleamed!
"Peerless cultivation?"
So, this scheming island lord truly had some real skillsâno wonder heâd risen to become a major boss.
If he was really that powerfulâŠ
Well, that would be perfect! The best outcome would be for him to kill Yi Feng outright!
The more he thought about it, the more intrigued he became. Yi Feng decided to probe further.
Learning from his past mistake of relying on rumors, he fixed his gaze on Xu Baichuan. The white-haired elder had lived through more hardships than Yi Feng had eaten mealsâsurely, he wouldnât spout nonsense.
"Elder Xu, is the island lord truly that formidable?"
His direct question stunned everyone nearby.
Asking so bluntly made it seem like he was looking for trouble!
Even Xu Baichuan was visibly shaken, his eyes flashing with apprehension.
He quickly replied via voice transmission, "Sir, the island lordâs cultivation is indeed extraordinary, far surpassing ours. Moreover, he wields secret techniques on this island. Centuries ago, he slew a fifth-rank expert from another island!"
"Now, the island lord is in seclusion. When he emerges, his power will only be greaterâlikely beyond even fifth-rank peak opponents!"
"Sir, I implore you to reconsider!"
Unlike the others with ulterior motives, Xu Baichuan was genuinely grateful for Yi Fengâs generosity in gifting him the fish. Thus, he held nothing back, even disclosing the island lordâs exact combat prowess via transmission.
With such terrifying details laid bare, any sane person would retreat.
But the moment Xu Baichuan finished speaking, Yi Fengâs face lit up with excitementâhe actually seemed eager to provoke a fight!
"Good!"
"Then today, Iâm determined to keep fishing!"
Hissâ!!!
The moment those words left his mouth, dozens of experts gasped in shock!
The more they tried to dissuade him, the more defiant he became!
Just who did this Yi Feng think he was? Was he recklessly ignorant, or did he truly have the confidence to back his words?
The crowd exchanged uneasy glances, not daring to utter a word.
For tens of thousands of years, no one on Sunlight Island had ever dared to challenge the island lord so openly. Even visiting powerhouses tread carefully out of respect.
The last fifth-rank expert who dared to defy him had been a notorious figure across the East Seaâyet heâd still been crushed by the island lord, his soul obliterated without a trace.
That terrifying memory was still fresh in everyoneâs minds.
Luo Pengfei, clutching the fish king, trembled so hard he nearly dropped his precious catch.
"Sir Yi, you mustnât act rashly!"
Though he knew Yi Feng possessed extraordinary cultivation and had displayed incredible skills that day, facing the island lord was an entirely different matterâthe outcome was impossible to predict!
Xu Baichuan, ever the seasoned diplomat, quickly stepped in to mediate.
"Sir, both Elder Xu and I still have over half an hour left at our fishing spots. Youâre welcome to use themâthis way, we avoid unnecessary conflict."
Their desperate pleas only underscored the island lordâs fearsome reputation.
Within moments, many of the previously enthusiastic onlookers retreated with wary expressions. The sight only fueled Yi Fengâs excitement.
Before he could respond, Elder Liu seized the opportunity to interject.
"Very well!"
"Since the two elders are yielding their spots, thatâs acceptable. But as for other matters, I dare not overstep. Sir Yiâs blatant disregard for Snow Lakeâs rules is another matter entirelyâI will report everything to the island lord for judgment!"
Elder Liu had been searching for a way to shift blame. Now, with Yi Feng acting like a reckless fool, heâd found the perfect scapegoat. A little embellishment in his report, and all responsibility would fall squarely on Yi Fengâs shoulders.
His furious declaration sent waves of tension through the crowd.
But Yi Feng only grew more delighted. With the feud now official and Elder Liu threatening to tattle, his goal was achieved.
To maximize the provocation, he deliberately scowled and snapped back.
"Hmph!"
"What kind of nonsense rules are these? Youâre just bullying others with your authority! And if those two fishing spots are missing even a single minute, Iâll hold you accountable first!"
Under the stunned gazes of the crowd, Yi Feng strong-armed Elder Liu into handing over a massive crystal tank, flaunting his defiance as he fished the remaining two spots dry.
By the end, the crystal tankâover ten feet longâwas filled to the brim with nearly a hundred Dao-Transforming Sturgeons. The islandâs experts stood frozen in disbelief, while Elder Liuâs face darkened with rage, his entire body trembling.
Under Elder Liuâs murderous glare, Yi Feng finally departed with the two nervous sect leaders, his carefree demeanor leaving the entire scene in awe.
The crowd remained rooted by the lake, unable to process what theyâd just witnessed.
After displaying godly fishing skills and showing zero fear toward the island lordâs reputation, Yi Fengâs legend spread like wildfire across the island.
Nearly everyone was convincedâhe had to have some incredible backing!
With the weight of nearly a hundred Dao-Transforming Sturgeons behind him, Yi Fengâs prestige now rivaled the island lordâs, surpassing even the infamous Mad Blade Luo to become Sunlight Islandâs most terrifying figure.
Having witnessed everything, the Sixth Elder of the Mad Blade Sect was utterly awestruck. His eyes burned with fervor, as if heâd stumbled upon a heaven-sent opportunity.
Without delay, he pulled out a communication jade slip and urgently reported everything to the Grand Elder.