The catch inspired my entry: Persistence will eventually lead to invincibility.

After dinner, Chen Shi packed his things and went out.

"Brother Shi'er...remember to come back early. It's not safe on the water at night, so be careful!" tide Niang instructed.

Chen Shi nodded, steered the small boat, and disappeared into the night.

After some time, the boat arrived at a designated area of ​​water.

His goal tonight is clear—to catch blackback bass.

His [Water Control] and [Canglang Blade Technique] skills were progressing steadily, but [Great Strength] remained at the first tier. This skill's effect was so powerful, yet it hadn't advanced to a higher level; how could he not be anxious?

"I hope tonight's catch will satisfy me." Chen Shi steadied his sampan and cast his line into the water.

He hoped to catch at least two blackback bass so that his [Great Strength] skill could be upgraded to level two. Catching more large fish would be even better, and he could exchange the extras for money in town.

Although the daily catch is considerable, most of it needs to be used as tribute to improve the character's strength, leaving very little to sell in town. Fortunately, the family has some savings, plus the twenty taels of silver Shen Lang spent on the Azure Scale Treasure Fish; otherwise, selling fish alone would be insufficient to support the family.

Ever since learning from Shen Lang that in order to become stronger, in addition to practicing martial arts, one also needs to hone one's "martial physique," Chen Shi went to town and bought a lot of beef and mutton to nourish his blood and qi.

Although he was unclear about the specific methods of tempering, he knew that with his current physique, even if he knew the methods, he might not be able to withstand it. Tempering one's martial arts physique is ultimately a slow and painstaking process; without a strong foundation, how can one endure the daily tempering?

The path of martial arts is not something that can be achieved overnight.

As he was thinking, the fishing rod suddenly dipped, and ripples spread across the water.

A fish has taken the bait!

With the help of [Water Control], he quickly scooped the fish up.

"It's actually a black-backed bass!" Chen Shi thought with delight.

Unexpectedly, I was so lucky that I caught the target fish on the very first cast.

When it comes to fishing, luck plays a huge role. Just like in my past life, many people with decent skills repeatedly returned empty-handed because they chose the wrong waters. If they could come to the fish-rich Fallen Dragon Swamp, they could probably pick any spot and return with a full catch.

"Only one more line left." Chen Shi looked at the panel.

[Immense Strength: Adds an extra 200 jin of strength, and replenishes Qi and blood.]

[Advanced route: Catch a blackback bass.]

After calming himself down, he cast his line again, hoping to catch another blackback bass.

The wait lasted for most of the night.

Although there were some catches during this period, none of them were blackback bass. Every now and then, whitebait would try to entice him, which he would have found extremely annoying in his previous life, but now that they could be used to advance his skills, he didn't find them bothersome at all.

After all that trouble late into the night, they finally caught another blackback bass.

Chen Shi's eyes narrowed, and lines of golden characters appeared.

[Advanced path completed!]

[Great Strength (Tier 1) → Great Strength (Tier 2)]

[Great Strength (Tier 2): Grants an additional 500 jin of strength, and replenishes Qi and blood.]

[Advanced Path: Catch Ten Grass Carp]

Add an extra 500 jin of force!

Chen Shi was overjoyed when he saw this line of text.

When he was at the first level of [Great Strength], his maximum strength was already close to 400 jin; now that he has advanced to the second level, his maximum strength has surprisingly exceeded 700 jin. This kind of strength is comparable to that of a top professional boxing champion in his previous life.

"I wonder how terrifying the power of the Canglang Blade would be if wielded with 700 jin of strength?" Chen Shi pondered to himself, then remembered something else. "Now that I have 700 jin of strength, I should be able to use [Water Control] to develop more offensive methods."

That's right, Chen Shi is going to try high-pressure water flow again.

As soon as the idea took hold, he immediately began to try it.

Just as he had predicted, the increased force applied to the water increased the speed of the ejected water. However, seven hundred jin of force still seemed insufficient. Although the ejected water was significantly stronger than before, it was still far from enough to be used as an offensive weapon in this world of extraordinary martial arts.

However, progress is always a good thing, and Chen Shi was already very satisfied.

Chen Shi looked up at the sky; it was already getting light. Realizing this, he prepared to steer his small boat home. But as soon as he used his [Water Control] ability, he sensed something unusual underwater.

He can clearly sense the water within three meters of him, which is the effect unlocked after [Water Control] reaches the fourth level.

He had studied it before, but hadn't figured out how to sense it. Now, the sudden underwater disturbance allowed him to quickly become familiar with and master this technique.

Chen Shi held his breath and imagined himself becoming one with the water.

He was trying hard to figure out what was underwater.

At this moment, his senses were amplified; to be more precise, the three meters of water around him seemed to become an extension of his arms.

"What an amazing feeling!" Chen Shi conjured up a magical scene in his mind.

Like a projection, the underwater conditions within a ten-meter radius around him played out in his mind. The scene within three meters was even clearer, like a contrast between black and white and color images.

After struggling to adapt to this situation, Chen Shi began his search.

He knew very well that the fish that could evoke such a feeling in him was no ordinary fish; it was very likely a treasure fish.

as predicted.

He rowed the boat while exploring the underwater world.

They quickly found the guy who had caused the unusual behavior.

It is a smooth, scaleless fish with three pairs of barbels, a palm-sized body, and a wide-open mouth.

It was a catfish!

This catfish was no ordinary catfish; its body surface shimmered with a faint, pale golden light.

"Possessing extraordinary signs, one must be extraordinary." Chen Shi said with a smile.

He was determined to catch this guy tonight.

Perhaps sensing this strong hostility, the catfish, which had been quietly nestled under the sampan, suddenly swung its tail and quickly fled.

"Still trying to escape..."

Chen Shi was about to use his Water Control technique to trap the peculiar catfish when he realized the fish was incredibly fast. In the blink of an eye, it had slipped several meters away, out of the water control range. If it weren't for his vague ten-meter-long perception range, he probably would have let the cunning fish escape.

Chen Shi steered his small boat in hot pursuit.

Multitasking took a huge toll on him, and beads of sweat quickly appeared on his forehead.

"Faster...faster...faster!"

Chen Shi exerted all his strength and was about to catch up with the treasure fish. However, the fish did not seem to be using its full strength, because just as he was about to control the water to seal off the underwater space, the catfish with a pale golden light suddenly disappeared from his perception range.

They simply vanished into thin air, leaving no trace.

"hateful!"

Chen Shi gritted his teeth, unwilling to accept the immense effort he had put in.

"If I see you again, I'll definitely catch you."

After catching his breath, he calmed down.

In life, eight or nine times out of ten, hard work doesn't guarantee a reward.

No matter how unwilling you are, you can only accept it for now and wait for the next opportunity to come and seize it firmly.

Having regained some strength, Chen Shi prepared to leave.

But then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of several points of light in the distance.

Before long, several small boats sped towards them. With his exceptional eyesight, Chen Shi could make out the attire on board, which matched the description of the sea pirates Shen Lang had given him.

What appeared before them was a group of sea thieves.