bookrandom Chapter 352 Fishing for the Sky
Chapter 352 Fishing for the Sky
A thunderous roar startled everyone.
Once inside the central high city, even on the lowest streets, the soundproof barriers ceased functioning, allowing the rolling thunder from above to repeatedly assault everyone's senses.
Abao exclaimed, "Wow, that was pretty harsh."
"Abao, won't this lightning strike?"
"No, don't worry, I guarantee you with my life."
"You have the ability to accumulate military merit points."
"Cough cough, okay." Only after Abao said that did Zhong Ming believe him a little. Although there were people queuing everywhere on the wide street, the queues moved very quickly.
As they drew closer, the massive, grayish-white stone bricks, illuminated by bursts of lightning, revealed a bone-white hue.
Once inside the inner city walls, Zhong Ming realized that the reason the queue moved so quickly was actually...
Inside is a huge waterwheel-shaped mechanical structure, with thousands of square meters of flat panels forming an ascending channel that continuously sends people upwards.
"Fellow Daoist, you can keep an eye on things as you go up. The exit of each level is marked with the required military merit points, which increase as you go higher."
"Which floor do you recommend I go to?"
"If you're happy with your luck, just aim for 100 military merit points. If you're looking for the best value, then 6 or 7 is more than enough."
"Let's go, up to the higher ground."
Zhong Ming put Zhang Youcai down. He was so shocked by the magnificent scenery around him that he couldn't speak, much like when Zhong Ming first saw the Sky Outpost.
The dark platform is engraved with golden patterns, which shows its nobility.
Zhong Ming stepped onto the platform and looked closely. The golden patterns around him seemed to be alive, with spiritual energy flowing continuously within them. As he began to rise and the surrounding walls obscured the view, he felt as if he were inside a Buddhist shrine.
Only then did Abao feel relieved and begin to explain: "The fishing here is not actually fishing in the water, but fishing for flying fish. There are many kinds of flying fish that live in this sea of clouds. If you catch a good one, there are people who will come to collect it, and you can make a lot of money."
Since it's profitable, some people will make a living from it.
He pulled a flyer from his pocket, which advertised a fishing competition held every four years in Cliff City, with an astonishingly generous prize for the champion.
"This place operates on a membership system. If you enjoy fishing here, you can become a member. Every four years, once you accumulate enough points, you can prove that you have enough flying fish fishing skills to participate in the Grand Prix."
Don't ask him why he's so enthusiastic; he gets a commission from Zhong Ming's membership card sales.
"So, the higher you go, the more expensive it is, because the higher you go, the closer you are to the sea of clouds, or rather, directly into the sea of clouds?"
"Fellow Daoist is truly exceptionally intelligent. However, the most expensive place is above the sea of clouds. When masters fish, they overlook the sea of clouds, seeking only a certain artistic conception."
Abao gave a brief introduction, hanging his badge around his neck. He could enter and accompany any guests who rented fishing gear.
The "waterwheel" slowly rose, taking Zhong Ming to the position of fifty military merit points. However, he did not stop until he exceeded one hundred points before he considered getting off.
"Are we very close to the sea of clouds here?"
"Yes, fellow Daoist is truly audacious, daring to come to position 120 for the first time."
Zhong Ming laughed heartily. It was better than just staring blankly at the sky below, waiting for the fish to bite.
When they came out of the exit on this floor, they were greeted by a beautiful and sweet-voiced older sister.
"What kind of fishing gear do you want, guests? Here, you can rent a complete set of fishing gear for six hours for 120 military merit points. Regular bait costs one military merit point each. If you are not satisfied, you can pay more to buy better ones."
Zhong Ming waved his hand and said, "Let's start with a standard set. If I'm not satisfied, I can change to a better one later, right?"
"That's certainly possible, one set, right? Doesn't your friend need it?"
"It's good enough that he wasn't pulled away by the flying fish."
Zhong Ming laughed heartily, and the woman was replaced by a male cultivator who was about the same height as him, who carried a whole set of things and led the way for Zhong Ming.
"I am your fishing attendant; you may send me to do anything related to fishing."
Zhong Ming nodded slightly and followed him forward. Along the way, the sides were made of transparent crystal.
Huge floor-to-ceiling windows, small passageways extending into the air, with circular platforms at the ends, where many people were already seated.
On the platform, there are auxiliary poles, and the fishing rod must be passed through the poles to be set up.
This isn't to prevent you from stealing the fishing rod and running away; it's to prevent you from being pulled into the sky by flying fish.
Of course, being pulled up into the sea of clouds by a flying fish is the dream of every professional angler.
Soon, Zhong Ming arrived at his designated spot. After walking through the long corridor, the surroundings opened up dramatically. Looking down, the distance was no less than several hundred feet, and people appeared as tiny dots in his eyes. Some clouds floated on the mountainside, and he had never seen man-made structures at such terrifying heights.
Zhang Youcai was trembling slightly, while Abao remained calm and composed.
"I hit it, I hit it!"
Suddenly, a joyful shout came from the small round platform next door. A male cultivator was seen excitedly reeling in his thread, which flew into the sea of clouds, cutting through the air at an extremely high speed and making a hissing sound.
A female cultivator nearby jumped and cheered excitedly, but the male cultivator showed no mercy and scolded, "What are you jumping for? Quickly look at what kind of fish it is!"
A servant handed over a magical artifact from the side, which allowed one to see things clearly within the sea of clouds.
"It is a ten-foot-long green."
The male cultivator's face immediately fell, and he looked disappointed. "One Zhang Qing, huh? I thought I could break even. Servant, grill the fish."
After he finished speaking, his attendant took out a long spear.
Just as Zhong Ming was wondering why he took the gun, perhaps to stab the fish, the man held his breath and concentrated all his spiritual power into the spear.
"Thunder Magic - Cloud Piercing Flow"
With a bang, the tip of the gun, crackling with terrifying lightning, slammed into the fishing line. The current shot straight up the line, numbing and crisping the electric fish in the sky, and then it fell straight down.
A clap of thunder sounded in the clouds, the sound of lightning striking the sea of clouds.
At this moment, Zhong Ming finally understood that there were no dark clouds here at all!
Every clap of thunder is a clear sign that someone is electrofishing!
"Fire net! Fire net!"
The powerless "One-Zhang-Qing" giant fish fell from the sky and was caught in the giant net in the servant's hand. Thunder magic flowed on it, and it was already in a semi-cooked state. With just a little processing, it would be a delicious dish.
"Sir? Sir."
"Ow."
Zhong Ming's attendant reminded him that the timer had started. "Would you like me to help you set up your fishing rod?"
"Of course, you can teach me."
The attendant took out a fishing rod covered with thick rubber, attached a fishing line, skillfully set it up on a side support, and locked it in place. Then he took out an exquisite little box from his storage bag.
"Sir, this is the bait. Please take a look."
Inside the box were small, dead birds with their wings spread open. Floating talismans were stuffed inside their bodies, and once a fishhook was attached, they could float into the air with the hook.
The most common item on this layer is a long, thin fish with yellow, red, and black stripes, which looks very appealing.
"Let's try this one first."