Wang Mu didn't know what state he was in. He just treated it as if he were chopping down a tree.
The moment the axe fell, water splashed everywhere! The Mystic Water Crocodile, its body clad in armor-like scales, let out a pained cry. As the axe blade shattered, a deep gash, visible to the naked eye, appeared on its waist! Its eyes filled with shock and pain, seemingly unable to comprehend how a mere mortal could pierce its hard carapace.
The intense pain made its cries weak. Without any hesitation, dragging the lower half of its body and driven by an unmatched will to survive, it turned and fled.
Wang Mu, who had fallen into the water, stared dumbfounded after the departing Mystic Water Crocodile. He couldn't believe he had done this...
My axe has such great power? Wang Mu was astonished.
Swimming to the shore, he saw the Little Jiao Huo watching him, its mouth slightly agape and its small face full of surprise.
"Not bad." Yu Li nodded, not too surprised. "Although you're not good at fighting, that axe swing truly showcased your strengths. However, your Physique is still lacking."
Wang Mu, having swum to the shore, now felt his body sore and weak, his face flushed, and he was breathing heavily.
After all, this wasn't the same as chopping a tree. When the axe struck the Mystic Water Crocodile's carapace, some of the force rebounded onto Wang Mu. Naturally, this consumed far more energy than chopping down a Purple Shuo Tree.
Wang Mu felt he couldn't swing the axe even one more time. He had been completely focused and had exhausted all his strength.
If it had been a smaller Purple Shuo Tree, he could have felled it with one strike to the trunk. This Mystic Water Crocodile, however, was quite tough.
"In the future, once your Fishing skill has improved sufficiently..." Yu Li pondered, "you should go to the ore veins south of the village. Mining there will help strengthen your Physique."
Wang Mu nodded.
As expected of a Newbie Village, there's even Mining, he thought.
Looking at the bloodstains in the water, Wang Mu scratched his head.
Even though he hadn't started Cultivation, the continuous use of Action points for Chopping and Fishing, combined with his daily exercises, meant his Attributes weren't low. He supposed he had gained some modest strength.
Regardless, Wang Mu could clearly feel the changes in himself. That last axe swing had even given him a fleeting sense of being a Martial Arts expert.
"Wow! Your village is really strange!" The Little Jiao Huo's eyes sparkled. "That Yu Dingtian, for example. He's very strong despite not practicing Cultivation. He almost broke the clan rules and took Big Sister away!"
"Oh?" Yu Li suddenly looked at the Little Jiao Huo. "You know about our village?"
"Just a little bit! It's all stuff Yu Dingtian and my big sister told me. I got really curious hearing about it. So, when I ran away from home... oh, I mean, when I went out traveling, I wanted to come see for myself, and that's how I swam over here."
The Little Jiao Huo looked at Wang Mu. "Wait for me a moment. I've hidden the Treasure in another place."
With that, it swam away.
Wang Mu rested for a while. About an hour later, the Little Jiao Huo's head popped out of the water. It was holding a ring in its hand.
"Here you go!" The Little Jiao Huo held up the ring. "This Treasure was left by a Cultivator from long ago. It has some things inside that I think you humans could use."
It tossed the ring to him. The ring, which looked more like a bracelet, had an ancient quality. It was azure, with swirling dragon-like markings on its surface. It appeared quite exquisite—definitely not an ordinary item.
"Eh... this is a Storage Bracelet." Yu Li glanced at it and recognized it. "Indeed, it's a Magic Artifact used by Cultivators."
Yu Li looked at Wang Mu, a strange expression on his face. He had been Fishing for so many years and had caught some Treasures himself... but usually, these were years apart. He might only snag a few Treasures every several years. Yet Mu Guy, in just a month, had caught Top-grade Fish Species, encountered a mysterious Mermaid, and now even a Cultivator's Magic Artifact had appeared.
Even though he prided himself on decades of Fishing, and his Heart Realm was not easily perturbed, he was now finding it hard to maintain his composure. Is this kid's luck just too good?
"A Storage Bracelet?" Wang Mu was taken aback.
He had been worrying about not having an inventory like in games. He wanted to hoard items like a hamster but had nowhere to put them. Well, a good thing is a good thing. But this is used by Cultivators... can I even use it?
Wang Mu touched the bracelet.
"Then I'm really leaving this time!" The Little Jiao Huo waved at Wang Mu. "I'll remember this place! I'll come back to play with you when I have time!"
After saying this, it swished its fish tail, flicking a few splashes of water at Wang Mu, and then disappeared beneath the surface.
"That Little Jiao Huo seems to be only about twelve or thirteen years old," Wang Mu remarked.
"It's older than that. Mermaids live much longer than us humans. It's probably much older than you," Yu Li said, shaking his head.
Wang Mu was speechless.
Sitting by the shore, Wang Mu rested and asked about how to use the Storage Bracelet.
Grandpa Yu was quite smug about this, eager to showcase his considerable knowledge. He explained that such bracelets often bore the Divine Sense imprint left by their previous owner, or had special restrictions placed upon them that needed to be unraveled before use.
"Although your Grandpa Yu isn't a Cultivator, this Storage Bracelet doesn't seem particularly formidable." Stroking his beard, Grandpa Yu continued with a proud expression, "Over the years, besides catching numerous fish species from Yunlai Creek, I've also fished up some Treasures. Though I've never practiced Cultivation nor do I possess Divine Sense, my Heart Power is strong. I can undo these minor restrictions."
Saying this, Grandpa Yu picked up the bracelet. A strange light flashed in his eyes. An illusory pattern on the bracelet's surface seemed to shatter, and then it glowed with a bright light.
Wang Mu was greatly shocked by this. He isn't a Cultivator, yet he has the methods of Cultivators? Just how powerful would Grandpa Yu be if he could cultivate? Seeing this, Wang Mu was filled with questions.
Yu Li seemed to sense Wang Mu's thoughts and chuckled. "You're wondering why we don't practice Cultivation, aren't you?"
"Actually, it's not that we haven't tried; it's that we truly can't. None of us possess Spirit Roots. Once, some Immortal Sect Disciples noticed our unusual talents and wanted to teach us some Immortal Cultivation Methods. However, every one of us struggled even with the most basic entry requirements."
"As for the legendary path of entering the Dao through Body Refining, the requirements are far too stringent for us to meet."
So that's how it is, Wang Mu thought. His mind stirred. If I didn't have the Cultivation System's Action points, perhaps Cultivation would be just as difficult for me.
With a Spirit Root, even the most common Mixed Spirit Roots, one could embark on Cultivation, though their achievements would likely be ordinary. Without one, however, there was truly no path forward. The Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth simply couldn't be absorbed into the body.
"When your Fishing proficiency increases and your Spiritual power improves further, you should be able to sense the space inside this Storage Bracelet. For now, you can't use it yet," Yu Li said.
After receiving the bracelet, Wang Mu examined it for a while before putting it away. He rested until noon, then continued Fishing in the afternoon.
His luck was incredible today, and Wang Mu didn't want to waste it.
His good fortune continued into the afternoon, and he caught two or three Top-grade Fish Species consecutively. Top-grade Fish Species generally enhance various Attributes and are rare and highly sought after.
Besides the earlier Jinhua Sword Sturgeon, he also caught Yufeng jellyfish and Ice Ancient Fish. These types of fish could improve one's aptitude for cultivating Magic.
The Jinhua Sword Sturgeon was the rarest among them; fish that enhance Sword Dao Talent are considered precious Treasures even in Immortal Sects.
In general, Top-grade Fish Species offered significant benefits.
Yu Li, watching from the side, was extremely envious.
Unfortunately, this streak of luck only lasted for two days. By the third day, things had returned to normal. Throughout the entire day, he didn't catch a single Top-grade fish.
I wonder when I'll encounter another Jinlong Carp, Wang Mu mused. That thing can increase luck and fortune. Even if it only lasts for a day or two, its effect is incredibly powerful!
That day, perhaps because he had caught quite a few Top-grade fish, Wang Mu's Fishing skill proficiency also increased significantly.
[Fishing (5)]