Chapter 846: Fishing Under the Starry Sky

What appeared before him was no longer just a small pond.

Instead, it was as if the sky was filled with stars!

Countless dazzling orbs of light shimmered within.

From the fleeting images that flashed across these orbs, Ji Shaoli could vaguely discern visions of exotic beasts, magical artifacts, and even cultivators in battle!

Ji Shaoli, meanwhile, sat enthroned above this starry expanse.

He lowered a single strand of thread!

The innumerable light clusters were like fish in a pond.

Initially startled, they instinctively scattered.

Then, a few, overcome by curiosity, slowly began to approach.

These orbs of light were categorized by color: white, green, blue, purple, orange, and more.

The white orbs emitted almost no distinct aura.

From green to orange, the oppressive aura emanating from the orbs steadily intensified.

Even the fleeting golden and violet-gold orbs that darted through this star sea contained auras that profoundly shocked Ji Shaoli, who had previously encountered the Immortal Venerable and the remains of a true immortal.

"What in the world is this..."

Even after a hundred reincarnations and countless grand spectacles, the sight unfolding before Ji Shaoli now left him momentarily stunned.

His mind deeply shaken, his composure faltered.

In an instant, he was pulled out of the state of fishing the starry expanse!

The boundless starlight vanished, and before him was once again just an ordinary small pond.

"This..."

Ji Shaoli instinctively clenched his fists and took a deep breath.

Given his extraordinary insight, he now realized he might have stumbled upon something truly remarkable!

Despite his strong mental fortitude, it still took him a considerable amount of time to fully compose himself.

Adopting the pure mindset of a fisherman once more, Ji Shaoli cast his rod!

However...

Yet, the scene before him remained utterly unchanged.

Ji Shaoli tightened his grip on the fishing rod. After a moment of thought, he recalled how Master Zhong Shentong and his apprentice had only cast their rods once.

"It seems there's a limit to the number of attempts within a given timeframe."

Feeling a touch of regret, he reeled in his rod and dispelled the illusion.

He once again concealed himself at a distance, observing.

Life in the small temple for the master and disciple seemed to be unchanging.

Every day, they simply lived an ordinary routine of eating, resting, and fishing.

When Zhong Shentong fished again, he only managed to reel in a white orb, returning disappointed.

And after the young Taoist acolyte also came up empty-handed, it was finally Ji Shaoli's turn to act again.

Taking a deep breath, and as an experienced angler, he adjusted his mindset to achieve optimal focus.

Then, he cast his rod!

A moment later, Ji Shaoli once again found himself in the endless starry sky!

This wasn't his first encounter with the utterly magnificent spectacle, so he was already accustomed to it.

This time, he finally managed to maintain his state of fishing in the starry expanse.

"Fishing requires bait. What, then, would I need to reel in these orbs of light?" Ji Shaoli pondered this as he watched most of the orbs swiftly retreat, leaving behind a vast empty expanse.

This place was clearly beyond the bounds of the Xuanhuang Realm.

It formed a distinct and separate spatial dimension.

With only a bare fishing rod, and Ji Shaoli's own form being purely an imagined presence, it was naturally impossible to attach any bait to the rod.

"Could it be that only those willing to be caught will be?" Ji Shaoli couldn't help but wonder.

He observed that as time passed, the orbs seemed to grow accustomed to his dangling fishing line, gradually drawing closer.

Some were even drawn in, curiously nudging it.

When a white orb ventured too close, it was instantly and firmly adhered to the fishing line.

Ji Shaoli felt the fishing rod dip downwards.

Then, an uncontrollable, instinctive tug followed.

The scene before him shattered, and he found himself back in the small mountain temple.

Only now, a white orb of light rested in his hand.

Inside this orb appeared to be a self-contained world, impenetrable to his divine sense.

Ji Shaoli mimicked Zhong Shentong's previous actions, reaching out and fumbling within.

Eventually, after extracting a dark green stone, the orb slowly dissipated.

"This is..."

By now, Ji Shaoli was undoubtedly well-versed and experienced.

Yet, upon examination, he discovered that he had never before encountered an ore of this particular texture!

"Either it's an extremely rare variety, or..."

"Something not from the Xuanhuang Realm!"

"The white orbs must be the lowest tier in terms of value within the starry expanse. They shouldn't be so precious as to be utterly unknown to me."

"If that's the case, my conjecture might be correct."

A glint appeared in Ji Shaoli's eyes.

This fishing pond, he concluded, must be a supreme treasure from another cultivation realm.

In fact, it might even be an immortal artifact originating from the Immortal Realm!

In his 115th life, at the very end of it, Li Fan — with the aid of the True Medicine King Cauldron — once journeyed to the Immortal Ruins and saw the remains of a true immortal.

Thereby, he had experienced the might of an immortal.

Yet, at this very moment, within the boundless starry expanse of this fishing pond, he once again sensed an aura of power comparable to that of the true immortal's remains!

And it wasn't merely a faint wisp!

The fleeting violet-gold and dark-gold orbs that swiftly darted through the starry expanse conveyed a sensation no less potent than that of a true immortal!

"This can't be my imagination."

"Even if there's some misinterpretation, the caliber of this fishing pond is undoubtedly extraordinary."

Ji Shaoli's eyes flashed with resolve.

He also remembered rumors he had heard previously.

In the ancient Xuanhuang Realm, immortal artifacts were known to exist.

However, during the great calamity, all immortal artifacts, and even the remains of immortals, vanished simultaneously.

"Could this fishing pond be an immortal artifact that miraculously survived?"

"Zhong Shentong, a mere mortal with no background, was able to acquire the 'Profound Life-and-Death Art' and even divine abilities like the Seven-Colored Divine Light. Was it all because of this fishing pond?"

In a flash, Ji Shaoli grasped the possible chain of cause and effect.

"This fishing pond is exceptionally unique. It can only be revealed to those with the mindset of a true angler. Perhaps this is also why it has remained perfectly preserved until today."

Ji Shaoli's mind raced with countless thoughts, and an irresistible surge of avarice welled within him.

Yet, his mental fortitude far surpassed that of ordinary people, and he quickly suppressed his greedy thoughts.

His attempts for the day were exhausted, so Ji Shaoli opted not to act rashly.

Instead, he temporarily withdrew once more.

By the third day, after Master Zhong Shentong once again caught nothing, Ji Shaoli stepped before the pond and cast his rod.

The thought that immortal-related power might reside within the fishing pond stirred a ripple of emotion within him.

But perhaps it was precisely for this reason that, after only a brief moment of fishing the starry expanse this time, he was forcibly expelled.

Ji Shaoli couldn't help but feel a slight jolt.

Then it dawned on him: "Is it that treasure seekers and those who try to pry into its secrets are simply not permitted?"

"Only true anglers can enter the starry sky."

Having understood, Ji Shaoli couldn't help but shake his head in silent amusement.

He could only await the arrival of the next day.

Meanwhile, he diligently adjusted his own mindset.

Once his inner greed was fully suppressed, Ji Shaoli successfully re-entered.

This time, he cast his rod with utmost seriousness.

The fishing line slowly descended, and the myriad orbs of light once again stirred.