Chapter 45 (1/2)

There’s also a trap in the waterway!

Sensing the weird fishes coming at him, a thought flickered across Master Long’s mind, putting a bitter expression on his face.

His experience caused his downfall.

He had originally thought that the bridge on the waterway was narrow and it was difficult to set up traps, but he hadn’t expected the trap to be in the water.

But it was too late for regrets now. With a soft cry, Master Long leaped into the air and pulled something from his waist.

A white glow appeared in the sky. As he waved his sword through the air, several weird fishes were split into two, splattering blood everywhere.

Seeing that it had worked, Master Long didn’t hesitate. He leaped upon the bridge and waved his sword in the air, killing one or two weird fishes every time he struck.

The sudden situation startled everyone.

Master Long’s choice is wrong as well! There’s also a trap in the water!

Right now, on the left and the right, one in the water and one on the square, the two were doing all they could to fend off the attacks from the traps.

Chen Hao was pretty lucky. After ten-odd arrows or so, those clicking and swoosh sounds vanished, leaving behind an uneven square.

He heaved a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat off his forehead, feeling a lingering fear.

He was truly very lucky. If he hadn’t suddenly decided to diligently practice the Dipper Steps for two days prior to this and activated his body’s ability to apply the Dipper Steps, he would probably be dead by now.

It wasn’t easy to be a master. He had learned a lesson this time. After leaving this place safely, he must diligently practice over a period of time, to master his skills completely. Also, he needed to prepare various protective items before undertaking more missions.

Having escaped danger, Chen Hao looked over to Master Long, feeling a sense of gloating.

Damn, you even tried to entrap me? You’re entrapping yourself now, aren’t you? My trap is at least a dead one, and it’s easy to dodge. Those weird fishes look ferocious. If you’re not careful, that’s it for you.

Chen Hao sat down and took out a piece of chocolate. He started eating it to recover his strength while watching the fun.

He wasn’t worried about Master Long, for the latter was fully armed and had so much good stuff. Also, with his cultivation, dealing with the weird fishes shouldn’t be too hard.

This was a good opportunity to observe Master Long’s cultivation. Chen Hao didn’t want to miss out on this.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Master Long acted rather calmly. Waving his sword, he would chop the fishes either horizontally or vertically. Clearly, Master Long was highly skilled, and the weapon in his hands was incredibly sharp too.

The longer Chen Hao watched, the weirder his expression became. Slowly, his gaze started getting serious.

On Master Long, Chen Hao saw the basic qualities a genuine master ought to possess.

Such as now.

The weird fishes were neither demons nor monsters, so they had clearly transformed into this shape under the influence of the dark energy from the Dragon’s Den. Magical artifacts had little effect on such things, so a physical attack would be more appropriate.

And Master Long had displayed his extraordinary skills and easily resolved this. This was a basic quality—to be able to deploy both means and to stay calm in the face of danger.

At the thought of how he had dealt with his own situation earlier, the difference was stark by comparison. It was embarrassing. Chen Hao felt his face heating up, secretly feeling ashamed for feeling pleased with himself earlier.

He was incomparable to a genuine master, more like a fraud who duped people for a living.

Must not be proud, must not feel pleased with myself, must be low-key, must work hard, must learn from others what they’re good at.

Chen Hao warned himself quietly.

Thereafter, Chen Hao got more and more serious as he watched Master Long deal with the weird fishes.

Regardless of Master Long’s character, his capability was worthy of one’s respect.

Momentarily, as if sensing that Master Long wasn’t someone to be trifled with, having seen many of their companions die, the weird fishes finally gave up attacking him. Slowly, the pond resumed its calm manner.

Holding onto his sword, Master Long was still in an alert state.