Chapter 847: Precious Fishing Pond

"Fish bite bait because they want to eat. What then do these glowing orbs seek?"

Seated amidst the endless starry sky, Ji Shaoli pondered this question.

"From a fleeting glimpse, it seems these orbs contain items, cultivation techniques, divine abilities, or combat experience."

"This fishing pond might be an immortal artifact designed to distribute rewards, perhaps with certain prerequisites."

Ji Shaoli's gaze swept over the orbs of different colors—white, green, blue, purple, and orange—deep in thought.

"The more valuable an item, the higher its tier. Therefore, attracting them must be more difficult."

"But now, only my consciousness remains. Even catching a white orb relies entirely on luck, let alone higher-tier ones."

Despite trying numerous methods, Ji Shaoli still couldn't add "bait" to the dangling fishing line.

His luck was also exceptionally bad. After a long time, not even a single white orb was attracted to him.

It seemed there was also a time limit in this starry realm. As the surrounding starlight dimmed, like ripples fading away, Ji Shaoli found himself back in the real world.

This fishing attempt ended with an empty rod!

Unsatisfied, Ji Shaoli immediately prepared for another cast. However, he reluctantly recalled that he only had one chance per day to activate the fishing power of the starry sky. He could only take a deep breath and wait for tomorrow.

Over the next ten days, Ji Shaoli participated in one fishing attempt daily. In total, he only managed to fish out six orbs: five white and one blue.

The white orbs contained only mundane items like ores and spirit herbs. They held little value. However, the blue orb yielded a jade slip.

"'Tai Kang Geng Jin Sword Qi'?"

Ji Shaoli carefully read the contents of the jade slip.

"As expected, it's not from the Xuanhuang Realm."

The "Tai Kang Geng Jin Sword Qi" was a cultivation technique from the Divine Sword Sect of the Taiyi Realm. The situation in the Taiyi Realm was largely similar to that in the Xuanhuang Realm. However, five grand cultivators who had reached the pinnacle of cultivation did not ascend to the Immortal Realm; instead, they integrated their bodies into the Great Dao. They merged with the Heavenly Dao of the Taiyi Realm and were known by cultivators there as the Five Directional Emperors of Taiyi. Tai Kang was one of these five emperors.

"With the power of Emperor Tai Kang, one can cultivate this sword technique all the way to the Dao Integration Realm?"

"Why is it only blue quality?"

After thoroughly reading the jade slip, Ji Shaoli was somewhat taken aback. Only when he attempted to cultivate the "Tai Kang Geng Jin Sword Qi" did he realize why. It was a matter of adapting to local conditions. This sword technique was specifically created based on the unique conditions of the Taiyi Realm. Its essential prerequisite for cultivation was the power of Emperor Tai Kang. However, in the Xuanhuang Realm, there was no such entity as "Tai Kang." Consequently, this cultivation technique was naturally impossible to practice. If it hadn't possessed Dao Integration quality, it would likely have been categorized as white-tier.

"This fishing platform can re-evaluate an item's value based on its environment?" Ji Shaoli couldn't help but marvel silently.

Although it was almost equivalent to no gain, Ji Shaoli was not upset. Over these ten days, he had observed Zhong Shentong's fishing process. Having encountered the fishing platform earlier than him, Zhong Shentong seemed to have grasped certain tricks. In ten attempts, not a single rod came back empty. Although it was only eight white and two blue orbs, it was still far superior to Ji Shaoli's haul!

After some thought, Ji Shaoli decided not to delay any longer.

That day, after Zhong Shentong had eaten and drunk his fill, he was about to take an afternoon nap. Suddenly, his expression changed. A golden light barrier enveloped the entire small temple, including the fishing pond. Countless golden, snake-like bolts of lightning were forming in the sky. It looked as if they would strike down at any moment.

"Master!" the young Daoist acolyte, who was washing dishes, exclaimed in alarm.

"Liuli, quickly get behind me!" Zhong Shentong grabbed the young acolyte and shielded him. At the same time, he took out a command flag and thrust it into the ground. Earthy yellow energy formed a sphere, enveloping both of them.

"Which fellow Daoist is this? Would you please show yourself?"

"There might be some misunderstanding!" Zhong Shentong spoke loudly.

Ji Shaoli, however, saw clearly that despite his words, Zhong Shentong had secretly drawn a small wooden sword. Even though his cultivation was higher, Ji Shaoli still felt a faint, deadly threat from the small sword.

Ji Shaoli did not reveal himself, merely stating coldly, "Fellow Daoist Zhong, if you don't want the matter of the fishing pond to become common knowledge—"

"I advise you not to resist!"

"Actually, I bear no ill will. As a fellow angler, I'm simply very curious about it!"

Upon hearing this, Zhong Shentong was completely unsettled. His greatest secret had been exposed, causing a flurry of panic in Zhong Shentong's heart. His expression constantly shifted, but eventually, he put away the wooden sword.

"Since that's the case, please show yourself! What's the point of hiding your face?" he said in a deep voice.

"Haha, Fellow Daoist, who knows how many treasures you've acquired from that fishing pond? One can't be too careful," Ji Shaoli said, unswayed by his words. Instead, he inquired about the method to fish for higher-quality orbs. "Don't try to deceive me; I know your gains from these past ten days perfectly well," Ji Shaoli said with a teasing tone.

Zhong Shentong's heart sank completely. The other party had been observing him thoroughly for days. Yet, he had been completely unaware. This was enough to prove that the opponent's strength far surpassed his own. Their power was overwhelming, yet they remained so cautious... Zhong Shentong couldn't help but curse inwardly.

With no other choice, he recounted the insights he had gained. "On the fishing platform, the more times you cast your rod, the stronger the connection you form with it. Perhaps there were once other ways to directly increase this connection. But now, it can only be built up painstakingly through repeated attempts and time. Once the connection strengthens to a certain degree, you can use your own consciousness as bait to attract the surrounding orbs. The orbs seem to possess sentience, capable of perceiving the contents of your mental bait."

Zhong Shentong confessed honestly. Ji Shaoli listened carefully, discerning the truth from falsehood in his words.

"You don't need to worry about me deceiving you; you'll know once you try it yourself."

"From the day I discovered the secret of this fishing pond, I knew I couldn't keep it to myself forever," Zhong Shentong sighed deeply. "It's just a pity that this fishing pond seems integrated with the world, fixed here. It's impossible to move or take it away."

"Otherwise..." Zhong Shentong said with utter helplessness. "I only hope you spare Liuli's life. If you must kill, then kill me." he pleaded.

At this moment, Ji Shaoli finally revealed himself.

"Heh, Fellow Daoist Zhong, you can put away your magic treasure now. I also have no intention of monopolizing this secret."

Hearing this, Zhong Shentong looked suspicious. However, he still secretly clutched a purple-gold gourd in his hand, not letting go.