God of Pets

"I've already sold the Evil Fortune Carp, so I can't show it to you," said Old Mo.

"Why would you sell a pet that can increase luck?" Chen Guan was a bit surprised.

"The luck increase is limited, and only one can work at a time. I use the Ghost Fortune Carp; it's the same,"

Old Mo chuckled and continued, "Besides, I'm not a gambler, just an honest guard. It's not much use to me. You wouldn't believe how valuable they are; I sold one for two hundred thousand. Isn't it better to buy elixirs to cultivate strength with that kind of money? What would I need it for—it doesn't necessarily produce a pet. It's too much of a gamble."

"Makes sense, you really see things clearly," Chen Guan said with a smile.

"Then again, everyone's situation is different. You're still young, and you'll have plenty of opportunities to go out and take risks in the future. Like when you gambled at Old Ba's, if you had an Evil Fortune Carp, you'd have a better chance of winning. But you already won, so your luck is good. Whether you have the carp or not, it's the same."

"Are there carp that are one-of-a-kind or of unparalleled quality?" Chen Guan didn't want to talk about this topic, so he changed the subject.

"There's supposed to be, but I've never caught one. I've seen all kinds of carp, some completely transparent like ghosts, some glowing with golden light, some as large as whales, and various mysterious carp. Some of them must be unique or unparalleled, but the rod and line I have aren't strong enough to catch many of these carp."

Old Mo said, handing a box to Chen Guan, "This is the Level-1 Secret Spirit Iron-Backed Insect; carp love it. Use this to bait them. My spare rod can handle a weight of ten thousand pounds, so it's enough for most carp. But if you encounter a carp that's too large or of too high a level, it won't suffice. The Evil Fortune Carp, for instance, is at least Level-18 rare Secret Spirit and quite big. This rod would struggle to reel it in. If you come across an older Evil Fortune Carp that could weigh over a thousand pounds, with greater power and possibly a higher level, this rod is likely to break."

"Still, encountering an Evil Fortune Carp isn't easy. Even the Ghost Fortune Carp is hard to find. You're a beginner; catching a Soul-Hook Carp would be impressive." Old Mo then sat down at a nearby fishing spot to demonstrate how to bait and cast the hook for Chen Guan.

Chen Guan mimicked Old Mo's actions, threading the Iron-Backed Insect onto the hook, then following his lead to cast the hook into the river.

"Back when I was a kid, I used to fish in the river and even caught a twenty-pound big black fish," Chen Guan chatted casually with Old Mo.

"Fishing out there isn't the same as fishing here," Old Mo scoffed—ordinary fish can't compare to Secret Spirit carp.

Moreover, Old Mo noticed Chen Guan's technique wasn't professional, and the chosen fishing spot wasn't ideal.

Of course, Old Mo had already picked the best spot for himself; as long as he was there, that spot wouldn't be available to anyone else.

Additionally, Old Mo had prepared the area, whereas Chen Guan hadn't, so his chances of catching anything weren't high.

Old Mo planned to share these experiences and techniques with Chen Guan later, so as not to overwhelm him with information all at once.

Chen Guan wasn't seriously intending to fish; he sat there watching the rod while practicing the Secret Technique of One to digest and absorb the consumed elixirs.

"Hey, there's a Golden-Eye Turtle over there. It looks pretty big," Old Mo stood up, staring at the churning waters of the Yellow Springs River.

"What's a Golden-Eye Turtle?" Chen Guan stood up too, gazing at the river but not seeing the turtle Old Mo mentioned.

"Now it's gone. I just saw its eyes glint reflecting for a moment, only showing parts above the water. I estimate it might weigh over a thousand pounds. Such a large Golden-Eye Turtle is rare…" After explaining, Old Mo continued, "Golden-Eye Turtle is a colloquial term; the real name is Golden-Eyed Iron-Shelled Turtle. It's a rare Secret Spirit, spanning levels from low teens to twenties. The longer it lives, the bigger it grows, and the higher the level becomes. A thousand-pound Golden-Eye Turtle must be over Level-25; they're extremely rare. If you see it, pack up your rod and leave, or you'll risk having your line bitten off."

The two continued fishing, and shortly after, Old Mo's side showed activity. He quickly raised his rod, lifting a foot-long red large carp from the water.

"This is a Soul-Hook Carp. It's so small; it's probably only Level-2 or 3," said Old Mo. He held the rod with one hand and pulled out a knife with the other, slicing the carp into two.

As expected, nothing came from it. Old Mo removed the carp's remains from the hook and tossed them back into the river: "That's just how luck is; carp that produce something are few and far between. Most of them give nothing. Fishing requires patience; you can't expect to land a big one right off the bat. That's unrealistic…"

When Old Mo was still talking, there was activity on Chen Guan's end. Chen Guan hastily raised his rod, but it couldn't lift the fish from the water; the rod made from Secret Spirit Material bent into an arched shape.

"Don't force it; let out the line, let it run. That's a big fish! Don't let it snap the rod…" Old Mo quickly instructed.

Chen Guan understood a bit, not completely clueless, and followed Old Mo's advice to release the line and let the fish run.

When the fish pulled hard, Chen Guan let out the line; when the fish eased up, he reeled in, always keeping the fish running. Before long, the river's surface swirled, revealing a black, white, and red tri-color large carp breaching its back.

"Ghost Fortune Carp… Kid, your luck is really something… First time fishing here, and you've hooked a Ghost Fortune Carp… Steady… Steady… Don't rush… Let it run some more… Judging by its size, it must weigh over a hundred pounds… That's quite a catch…" Old Mo said as he prepared a fish fork, ready to pierce the Ghost Fortune Carp once it tired.

Thinking twice, it seemed inappropriate, so he took Chen Guan's rod and handed the fish fork to him: "I'll help you wear down the fish; you watch for the right moment to finish it."

Chen Guan took the fish fork, spotted the opportunity, and as the Ghost Fortune Carp weakened, he thrust it through, piercing its body.

"The chances of a Ghost Fortune Carp producing a pet are small; don't get your hopes up…" Old Mo said while reeling in the line.

But the next moment, colorful particles scattered from the speared carp and gathered toward Chen Guan, petification occurring.

This left Old Mo stunned, then both shocked and delighted: "Kid, your luck is really good, actually producing a pet."

Chen Guan himself was a bit surprised; his luck had never been this good before.

Chen Guan reeled in, retrieving the fish fork from the river, and as he continued pulling, a huge Golden-Eye Black-Shelled Turtle emerged from the river, its size astonishingly large, comparable to a truck.

Its eyes gazed toward them, nodded slightly in Chen Guan's direction, then flicked its tail and vanished.

"Damn… What a huge Golden-Eye Turtle… Must weigh over ten thousand pounds…" Old Mo saw the Golden-Eye Black-Shelled Turtle's tail disappear into the water, roughly estimating and suddenly gasping, "I've never seen a Golden-Eye Turtle this big before."

Chen Guan thought, "That's far more than just ten thousand pounds."