82: Chapter 82 Trying to outdo me in luck? By the grace of Heaven, confiscate it!
Yunmeng City, Tiandao Plaza.
The aftermath of the first round, the Heaven-Climbing Stairs, had not yet subsided, yet the atmosphere of the entire square grew even more fervent.
After swallowing a Supreme Rejuvenation Pill, Ye Chen, Sacred Son of the Eternal Evergreen Sect stood up again with a gloomy expression.
He stared fixedly at Lin Que, who was peeling an orange for Su Qingyu in the distance, the resentment in his eyes nearly overflowing.
"Lin Que... Su Qingyu..."
"You won the first round through trickery, but this second round depends on foundation and destiny!"
"Second Round: [Luck Fishing]!"
Following the order from the Leader of the Righteous Path Alliance.
The ground in the center of the square transformed once more, turning into a shimmering golden spiritual pond.
There was no actual water in the pond; instead, it was filled with "Luck Golden Carps" formed by the convergence of countless Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi. They swam in the pond, each representing a wisp of Heavenly Dao Luck.
"Rules: Each Saintess candidate will hold a specially made fishing rod. Within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the more golden carps caught, the stronger the Luck, and the higher the ranking!"
"Luck is destiny. In this stage, all martial force is forbidden; it depends entirely on one's own fortune!"
"Begin!"
The women took their seats by the pond and cast their hooks.
Su Qingyu also gripped her fishing rod nervously, sitting in a corner.
However, fifteen minutes passed, and her float didn't budge at all. In contrast, others had already started catching several small fish one after another.
"Heh, so what if you have an Innate Dao Body? Luck is something you're born with."
Ye Chen, Sacred Son of the Eternal Evergreen Sect stood behind the Ye Family Saintess (his younger cousin), a cold sneer curling his lips.
He quietly crushed a dark-gold pill in his sleeve—the [Dragon-Attracting Pill].
An invisible, exotic fragrance instantly enveloped the area where the Ye Family Saintess was located.
Splash!
The pond water began to boil.
Countless Luck Golden Carps, like cats smelling fish, swarmed frantically toward the Ye Family Saintess!
In the blink of an eye, the water surface around her was filled with golden schools of fish, and even several foot-long "Fish Kings" scrambled to bite the hook!
"Heavens! That's the phenomenon of a Hundred Fish Paying Homage!"
"The Ye Family is indeed a True Dragon Family favored by the Heavenly Dao! This Luck is too terrifying!"
In the stands, members of various major forces marveled at the sight.
The Ye Family Patriarch sat on the main stand, stroking his beard and smiling, his eyes full of pride.
Cheating? In the world of cultivation, a Family's foundation is also part of its strength. Who could say anything?
"It's over, Young Master Lin, I haven't caught a single one..."
Su Qingyu looked at her empty hook, then at the "full harvest" scene on the Ye Family's side, and was so anxious she was about to cry.
"Don't worry."
Lin Que sat in the grand armchair beside her, toyed with the freshly cleaned jade bowl (investiture fragment) in his hand, and said slowly:
"Fishing is far too low-level."
"A true master of fishing never uses a hook."
"Never uses a hook?"
Su Qingyu was bewildered.
"Watch."
Lin Que stood up and walked to the edge of the pond.
He didn't take a fishing rod; instead, he directly placed the jade bowl in his hand gently into the water.
"What is he doing? Scooping fish with a bowl?"
"Hahaha! Is this kid crazy? Those Luck Golden Carps are spiritual entities; they pass through objects. You can't scoop them up at all!"
Seeing this, Ye Chen, Sacred Son of the Eternal Evergreen Sect couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Lin Que turned a deaf ear.
He lightly tapped the rim of the bowl with his finger, and a wisp of Divine Sense power from his three-colored golden core was quietly infused into the golden character for "Decree" at the bottom of the bowl.
"By Heaven's Mandate, the Emperor decrees..."
Lin Que's lips moved slightly, his voice not loud, yet it carried an unquestionable power of law:
"Let the Luck of this place all return to my bowl."
"Those who disobey shall be executed."
Hum—!!!
As the final word fell.
The jade bowl submerged in the water suddenly erupted with a brilliantly radiant purple-gold divine light!
This light was not spiritual power, but Imperial Dragon Qi! It was the supreme majesty of the Ancient Heavenly Court commanding the gods!
"[High-level rule command detected: Luck Plunder!]"
"[Divine Artifact 'investiture fragment' activated!]"
"[Cost Determination: Consume ten years of Lifespan / Endure Heavenly Dao Backlash.]"
"[Transfer initiated! Target locked: The smug Ye Family Patriarch currently presiding over the grand array!]"
Boom!
The previously calm spiritual pond suddenly rose with towering waves!
Those Luck Golden Carps that were frantically fighting for food around the Ye Family Saintess's hook seemed to suddenly sense some kind of summons from the depths of their Bloodline, or perhaps... fear!
They instantly abandoned the Ye Family Saintess.
All of them turned around! They launched a death-defying charge toward Lin Que's small jade bowl!
"What's going on?! Why are the fish running away?!"
The smile on Ye Chen, Sacred Son of the Eternal Evergreen Sect's face froze.
He desperately increased the dosage of the [Dragon-Attracting Pill], but those fish ignored him completely, as if it were just a piece of dung.
On Lin Que's side.
Splash!!
Countless golden carps scrambled to jump out of the water, diving into the jade bowl like dumplings into a pot! Because the bowl was too small, they even lined up in the air!
Even more terrifyingly.
From deep within the pond, a Dragon's roar echoed.
A Luck Golden Dragon nearly ten feet long break through the water!
It ignored everyone's temptations and swam straight to Lin Que, lowering its noble head and... kowtowing to the jade bowl!
Then, it obediently transformed into a streak of golden light and dove inside.
Ten Thousand Fish Worshipping! The True Dragon Kowtowing!
Among the hundreds of thousands of people present, there was dead silence.
Even the Nascent Soul old monsters in the stands stood up in shock.
Scooping fish with a bowl is one thing... but what kind of maneuver is making the Luck Golden Dragon kowtow?! Is the Heavenly Dao's father inside that bowl?!
"No!!!!"
Looking at her empty hook, the Ye Family Saintess's mental state collapsed, and she burst into tears.
And even more miserable was the Ye Family Patriarch on the main stand.
At the very moment Lin Que activated the Divine Artifact.
Pfft!!
The Ye Family Patriarch, who was holding a teacup and acting like a grand master, suddenly felt as if his chest had been struck by lightning.
An inexplicable force of Heavenly Dao Backlash descended upon him out of thin air!
"Cough, cough, cough!!"
He sprayed a mouthful of fresh blood; half of his originally jet-black hair turned white instantly, and the wrinkles on his face deepened at a visible rate. It was as if he had aged ten years in an instant!
"Patriarch?! What happened to you?!"
The nearby Qingyun Sword Sect Sect Master turned pale with fright.
"Luck... my Luck has been slashed?!"
Clutching his chest, the Ye Family Patriarch looked in terror at the young man holding the jade bowl below.
He felt as if someone had forcibly borrowed ten years of his life!
...By the spiritual pond.
Lin Que lifted the jade bowl, which was filled with golden light and even overflowing, and casually handed it to the already dumbfounded Su Qingyu.
"Hold this."
"Although this fish soup doesn't have much meat, drinking it can enhance your beauty."
Su Qingyu held the bowl, feeling as if she were holding the entire world. She looked at the miniature golden dragon swimming in the bowl and stammered, "This... this works too?"
Lin Que fanned himself with his folding fan, his gaze sweeping over Ye Chen, Sacred Son of the Eternal Evergreen Sect, whose face was as black as the bottom of a pot, and the blood-spitting Ye Family Patriarch in the stands.
"Why wouldn't it work?"
Lin Que smiled faintly, his voice spreading throughout the field:
"Luck is indeed something you're born with."
"But the rules..."
"Are set by me!"