Read Novel Full Chapter 318: Hard
Chapter 318: Hard
It still wasn’t enough. Even after unleashing his hidden power, Richard could still feel the overwhelming pull.
The fishing rod wasn’t merely trembling—it felt as though it would slip from his hands the instant he loosened his grip.
When he tried reeling the line in, he managed to gain a little distance, only for it to be dragged back immediately. That was enough to tell him he couldn’t overpower it by brute force alone.
The spectators who had been blown away by his aura quickly steadied themselves and watched from a safe distance, their eyes fixed on Richard.
Richard himself was split between concentrating and worrying—worrying that the fish might break free.
"Do you think this is the Fire Dragon Fish Emperor?" he asked Damian, who had finally managed to stabilize himself despite standing so close to him.
"I wasn’t born when the Emperor was caught," Damian replied. "But... the power this one is displaying is far beyond that of the Fire Dragon Fish King."
"I see..." Richard smiled faintly after hearing that.
The gap between each rank was always enormous. But if the difference was this overwhelming, then it could very well be two ranks higher.
"This fishing rod and line... are they really the best?" he asked again.
"They are. Their structure was personally designed by our First Ancestor, who guaranteed they wouldn’t break even if a Legendary Fire Dragon Fish Ancestor was hooked. The line is equally durable, and so is the reel. However... a fish can still escape for other reasons."
"If it gets away, I’ll have no choice but to cry." Richard chuckled.
Every now and then, he continued trying to reel it in.
His efforts weren’t without results.
He could clearly feel the fish’s resistance weakening bit by bit.
As long as it didn’t escape, he would eventually pull it out.
It was simply going to take time.
Meanwhile, the crowd continued to grow.
They weren’t just astonished by the massive waves created by the creature beneath the river, but also by the terrifying pressure radiating from a mere Peak Lord.
There were no shortage of Rulers among the spectators, yet even they could feel the oppressive aura.
"Hmph!"
Richard grunted from time to time as he jerked the rod upward.
He had to do that occasionally to keep the tip from being dragged into the Fire Dragon River.
"Boy, perhaps you’re not strong enough. Why don’t you hand it over to me?"
A hoarse voice suddenly echoed through the area.
At the same moment, a golden light descended before condensing into the figure of an elderly man with pale white skin.
He wore a white robe embroidered with golden lines, elegant enough to be considered luxurious for an old man.
What stood out the most, however, was the sun-shaped mark on his forehead. It truly looked like a miniature sun embedded into his skin.
A pair of wings made entirely of blazing sunlight spread across his back.
’A Sun Spirit...’
Richard recognized him instantly.
The strongest clan among all Spirits.
There was no questioning it.
They had produced four Grand Sovereigns throughout history.
The Sun Knight Grand Sovereign, the third of them, ranked among the five strongest Grand Sovereigns ever to exist.
As for this old man...
Richard’s aura had absolutely no effect on him.
He was an exceptionally powerful Peak Ruler.
"Old man, do you think you’re stronger than me?" Richard replied.
He wasn’t afraid of him, no matter what background he had.
"Don’t be arrogant, brat. If that fish escapes, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life." The old man was clearly irritated by Richard’s response.
Richard ignored him and focused entirely on the fishing rod again.
He wasn’t worried about anyone causing trouble here.
The Fire Spirit Queen was watching everything.
If anyone dared attack him, she would protect him.
Within her own capital, she was even stronger than usual.
"Hmph! Hmph!"
The old man snorted unhappily after being ignored again.
Unlike Richard, Damian’s expression turned noticeably tense upon seeing him.
"Hmph!"
The old man—Stone Sun Elder—snorted once more.
Even so, he kept staring at the turbulent Fire Dragon River with intense curiosity.
His thoughts seemed to be racing.
Buzz!
Without warning, crimson light burst out from beneath the river.
Richard’s fishing line suddenly went slack.
Not because the fish had escaped...
But because it had started swimming upward.
A fish was still just a fish.
Without intelligence, its only instinct was to struggle free from the hook.
Ironically, that made things much easier.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Richard rapidly reeled the line back until half of it was recovered.
However, the closer the fish came...
...the stronger its pull became.
"Did the Fire Dragon Fish Emperor also emit a crimson light like this?" someone asked.
Stone Sun Elder’s eyes suddenly shone with excitement unlike anything anyone had ever seen from him.
Those who knew him were stunned.
He had personally witnessed the Fire Dragon Fish Emperor before.
Since this creature was already confirmed to be above the King, there was no reason for him to react so intensely if it were merely another Emperor.
"Boy, hand me that fishing rod right now. I swear the Sun Spirit Kingdom will grant you anything you desire—as long as it isn’t a Grand Weapon," he declared.
"Old man, do you think I’m lacking treasures?" Richard replied without lowering his voice, shocking everyone present. "Even this fish you’re so desperate to obtain... I’ll give it to the Fire Spirit Queen."
Many had already begun suspecting that it might be the legendary Fire Dragon Fish Ancestor.
Yet this young man casually declared he would present it to the Fire Spirit Queen.
Even the palace elders observing everything from within the royal grounds were left speechless.
"Y-You..."
Stone Sun Elder froze as though he had suffered a stroke.
His body trembled slightly, unable to find words to continue.
"Brat, the Sun Spirit Kingdom is the strongest kingdom. Nothing good will come from refusing us."
The threat rolled naturally off his tongue, as though intimidating others had long become second nature to him.
Richard didn’t answer.
He merely sneered at the old man.
"Come up!"
He continued forcing the fish toward the surface.
Surprisingly, the fish’s overwhelming strength didn’t last very long.
Perhaps it became exhausted more quickly after reaching the upper region of the Fire Dragon River.
The harder Richard pulled...
...the brighter the crimson radiance shining from beneath the river became.