Wait a minute, where is my master?

"This ink jade fishing rod was originally crafted by Fishing Sky Elder to save his son's soul.

However, a mysterious piece of ink jade fell from the sky at that time, which caused a hitch during its crafting and failed to save his son. Yet, because of that mysterious ink jade, the effectiveness of this artifact became even stronger, acclaimed to be capable of fishing anything under the heavens.

During the great war between immortals and demons a thousand years ago, this artifact was hit directly by the Demon Lord in a battle, and since then, not only has it been unable to recognize a master, but it has also become quite peculiar."

The Old Dean spoke with a face full of inscrutable depth, narrating the history of the ink jade rod.

The young Taoist beside him deeply agreed and silently nodded.

This ink jade fishing rod was indeed peculiar, for the things it pulled up were bizarre and varied; except for those two times it fished up roast chicken and roast goose, it had never worked properly at any other time.

Wanted to fish for his master but ended up catching a fish; wanted to fish for fish but ended up catching a husky.

Even if a fisherman could catch anything, the things caught were too strange.

Seeing Jin Xu nodding in agreement, the pale-faced scholar-like Old Dean continued to speak.

"After Tianxing Taoist disappeared, that rod must have been in your possession, hasn't it? Have you used it sparingly?"

"Yes, my master left an image inside the rod, saying this item was highly peculiar and should not be used unless absolutely necessary,"

the young Taoist nodded and said.

"No wonder then, it's no surprise that you didn't know about another secret of this fishing rod./p>

While intact, it goes without saying, but after it was hit by the Demon Lord and became peculiar, it has seen very few masters.

Those who possessed it, if not often used, might only think that the rod just becomes capricious."

The pale-faced scholar gently caressed the jade cup in his hands and silently mused.

"However, your master was not an ordinary person.

Ordinary cultivators, fearing that the things they might fish up could exceed their cultivation or control, would only try their luck as a last resort. But that old codger Tianxing, relying on his unmatched cultivation in the Nine Provinces Realm, had once gone mad fishing for a while.

I remember one time, that old codger even fished out a Spiritual Spring.

But as the saying goes, one can't frequently walk beside the river without getting wet shoes. Once, when I met with your master at a banquet, he casually cast a throw, and immediately he vanished right there in that room.

The ink jade fishing rod was left behind. I was startled and immediately sent him a message, but there was no response.

It was not until three days later that your master reappeared before me, his expression full of excitement.

Do you know where your master went?"

The Old Dean picked up his jade cup and gently sipped from it.

It wasn't clear whether he was utterly confident in Tianxing Taoist or because the young Taoist had just told him that Guan Ling of Xuanxu Temple said his master still had a chance of life.

In any case, the Old Dean now felt at leisure to be coy about it.

"Did he travel to another small world that fragmented from the Nine Provinces Realm?"

Jin Xu directly voiced his guess, not indulging the other's inclination to be coy.

"Right, but also not right."

The Old Dean mysteriously smiled and then glanced at Jiang Xiulan.

Chef Jiang instantly understood the other's intention, didn't dawdle, nor said much, consciously stood up, and silently left the room.

The Old Dean with the appearance of a pale scholar casually set up a soundproof barrier before he continued speaking.

"Don't think I'm being stingy, after all, it's your master's secret. It's enough for you, his disciple, to know; there's no benefit in others knowing it.

Your master indeed traveled to another small world, but it wasn't one of those that broke off from the Nine Provinces Realm. It was a completely new, never-before-explored, unknown small world.

At the time, he told me that the moment he cast his fishing rod, he felt a spatial fluctuation that he couldn't resist, and he found himself in a strange place," he said.

"Could it be a fragment of the other Four States, but since my master had never been there, he mistook it for an unknown small world?"

When the Old Dean said this, Jin Xu interrupted him, questioning the other man.

"Impossible, both your master and I are familiar with the landscapes of the Nine Provinces Realm. Even if the Four States were shattered, the geographic features and living species would still be common to the Nine Provinces Realm.

Moreover, the place your master described as his first travel destination in that small world was quite mystical. The spiritual energy was abundant, and the inhabitants, whether humans or mystical creatures, were all female. Such a place was absolutely non-existent in the Nine Provinces Realm when it was whole.

That old guy lived in that small world for three days, then used the coordinates from Xuanxu Temple to break through the space and return to the Nine Provinces.

However, the strange thing was that he had clearly left a mark in that small world, planning to return later for a thorough exploration, but once he returned to the Nine Provinces Realm, that mark mysteriously dissipated."

The Old Dean's brows showed a puzzled expression as he placed the jade cup on the square table.

"Did my master sneak out with the fishing rod in the middle of the night just to return to that small world for a look?"

This absurd thought suddenly popped into the little Taoist's mind.

However, the Old Dean's words soon dispelled this idea.

"Your master was not a lascivious person; it wasn't necessary for him to return to that small world. However, the mysterious disappearance of the mark he left there troubled him. So, after that first 'crossing,' he began fishing frantically again.

And with the first experience, he became much more cautious. He prepared thoroughly before each fishing session, and if he wasn't in Xuanxu Temple, he would always ask me to join him as his protector."

"Did my master succeed again afterward?"

"He succeeded, but also did not.

The Tianxing Taoist traveled through twice under my protection, once returning after two days and the other after a half day.

However, he said that the small worlds he reached on those occasions were not the initial one. One of the worlds was barren, filled with the elements of the Five Elements, and the other was actually a part of He State that had fragmented from the Nine Provinces Realm."

The Old Dean put down his cup and stood up, walking pensively to the window, his body trembling strangely, then sighed.

"I had advised him then to stop using that ink jade rod so casually.

Although his cultivation was among the top in the Nine Provinces Immortal World, the world is so vast; there are always stronger people beyond oneself. If one day he traveled to a world that his cultivation could not deal with, that would be bad.

Alas, it seems he did not heed my advice afterward; his addiction to fishing had grown too strong."

Jin Xu thought to himself that advising a fishing enthusiast to stop was nearly impossible.

He then followed the Old Dean to the window.

"Elder, do you suspect that my master, while fishing with the ink jade rod, got trapped in some mysterious small world?"

"It can only be so, otherwise, with the strength and knowledge of that old guy, there's no place in the Nine Provinces Realm that could trap him."

The Old Dean shook his head, his gaze drifting out the window.

From the second floor of the Immortal Food Restaurant, one could just make out the entrance to the Qingmu Secret Realm within the city.